The National Fire Agency said it had fully extinguished a fire that broke out early on the 16th in Guryong Village in Gangnam District, Seoul. The fire, which began at about 5 a.m., was largely brought under control at about 11:34 a.m., and extinguishing was completed at about 1:28 p.m.
The National Fire Agency said, "A fire of unknown cause broke out in District 4 and spread to the adjacent District 6," and noted, "Given the characteristics of the area, where temporary makeshift buildings are densely clustered and vulnerable to fire, it expanded into a major blaze."
However, all 258 people from a total of 165 households in Districts 4 through 7 of Guryong Village evacuated safely, and there were no casualties.
Fire authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of property damage once they finish mopping up embers.
The Seoul city government set up a temporary shelter for displaced residents at Guryong Middle School and is securing additional temporary lodging.
Guryong Village is known as the last shantytown in Gangnam. It formed as people displaced by demolitions moved in when development in the Gangnam area accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s.
Seoul began urban development in 2016, but the project did not gain momentum due to complex ownership issues. The city passed a revised redevelopment plan for Guryong Village last month. The goal is to transform Guryong Village into a nature-friendly residential complex with a total of 3,739 households. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.